Norwood High Wins Bay State League Title As Dick Bunker Hurls 2 To 0 No-Hit Shutout-This Day in Norwood History-June 11, 1953

Norwood High School closed out its 1953 baseball season in unforgettable fashion, traveling to Natick and returning home with both a 2–0 victory and the Bay State League championship. The star of the afternoon was left‑handed ace Dick Bunker, who delivered the finest performance of his high‑school career — a no‑hit shutout that secured the league pennant and cemented his place among Norwood’s all‑time greats.

Bunker, already known for his overpowering fastball, was nearly unhittable from the first pitch. He struck out 17 batters in the seven‑inning contest, fanning the side in the first, second, and fifth innings, and retiring the first eight hitters he faced. Only one Natick batter managed to lift a ball out of the infield, a routine fly to left fielder John Cieri. Everything else was weak contact or a helpless swing.

Despite Bunker’s dominance, Norwood’s offense struggled to get going. The Mustangs managed only three hits, and both of their runs were unearned, the result of a walk and an infield error. The key blow came off the bat of sophomore Pots Renzi, whose clutch single in the sixth inning drove in the game’s only runs and provided all the support Bunker needed.

The victory capped a remarkable season for the lanky southpaw. Bunker finished the year with a 10–1 record, his only loss coming during the EMASS Tournament at Fenway Park — a rare off‑day in an otherwise brilliant campaign. Over the course of the season, he struck out 180 batters while issuing only 28 walks, numbers that placed him among the elite schoolboy pitchers in Massachusetts.

Bunker was just as dangerous at the plate. For the third straight year, he hit well over .350, finishing the season at a .380 clip, making him one of Norwood’s most reliable hitters as well as its ace pitcher.

Local fans still talked about his earlier playoff outing against Somerville, where he struggled unexpectedly. But his no‑hit masterpiece against Natick erased any lingering disappointment and reminded everyone why he was considered a top candidate for the schoolboy All‑Star team soon to be selected by area sportswriters.

Norwood’s championship was hard‑earned, edging Needham by a single game in the final standings. The Mustangs’ success was due in no small part to Bunker’s consistency, leadership, and sheer dominance on the mound.

The season also included a noteworthy performance at the junior‑varsity level. Jackie Brissette threw a no‑hitter earlier in the year but suffered a heartbreaking 2–0 loss when his teammates couldn’t provide any run support. The achievement went largely unnoticed at the time, but local sportswriters later made sure to give Brissette the recognition he deserved.

For Norwood baseball, 1953 was a season defined by grit, talent, and one unforgettable afternoon in Natick — the day Dick Bunker threw a no‑hitter, the Mustangs claimed the Bay State League crown, and a new chapter of Norwood sports history was written.

(Norwood Messenger)

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